...Gordon Brown - who remains prime minister until the resolution of the impasse caused by the general election resulting in a hung parliament - made clear that he was ready to deliver immediate legislation for a referendum on the Lib Dems' cherished goal of electoral reform if Clegg signs up to a deal to keep him in Downing Street.

Cameron earlier spelt out his terms for a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, offering to back key policies on school funding and scrapping ID cards but falling short of promising the radical reform of the electoral system needed to secure the support of Clegg's party.

A firm promise of electoral reform on the one hand. On the other, a chance that he (Clegg) can be a real player in a majority governing coalition. Is Clegg about to get rolled by Cameron? Or is it the other way around? Is Clegg a man of principle or vanity? Or is that too simplistic a gloss on it? Brits, enlighten the rest of us.

And anyway, why do you folks think the Lib-Dems lost seats? It always happens this way in the states when there's a third-party candidate - toward the end, voters say ah, he's not going to win, and decide not to "waste" their votes.